The present invention relates to a game played basically upon probabilities and, more particularly, a game of chance which utilizes the elements of poker and which can be played by one or more players at the same time.
The game of the present invention is intended to be played by persons having detailed knowledge of poker but, at the same time, is enjoyable and readily understood by those who are only vaguely or not at all familiar with the game of poker and its variants. This is so because the participants in the game are able to play intelligently because the odds are printed upon the game table surface. Moreover, players can make even inconsistent plays on the table, if they so desire, by virtue of the arrangement of the game table surface and the method by which "POKER-ALL" is played.
The foregoing objects have been achieved in accordance with the present invention by providing a game surface upon which a dealer places a number of cards face down from a deck of cards at specific spots. As each card is placed down at the specified spot, each participant in the game can play a number of chips in guessing whether each card is a high card (e.g. 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King, Ace) or a low card (E.G. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7). If, for example, five cards from a deck of cards are the total number of cards to be placed at specified spots on the game table surface, each participant will have the opportunity of guessing whether one or more of the five cards is a high card or a low card. Of course, the participants are not required to play chips for this purpose, although it is expected that each participant will play in some aspect of the game during each hand that is dealt by the dealer.
After the total number of cards (e.g. 5 cards) have been placed at designated spots on the surface, each game participant will have the opportunity of deciding, for example, if all of the cards in the hand are all red or all black or if all the cards in the hand are face cards (i.e. Jacks, Queens and Kings). Furthermore, the participants have the option of guessing, based upon odds printed on the table surface, whether the dealt hand will contain all high cards (e.g. 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King, Ace), a pair of 6's or better, a pat 7 or better (i.e. 7 or lower with no pairings), all low cards (e.g. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7), two pairs, three of a kind, a straight, a flush and/or a full house.
The participants can also place their chips on a section of the table for playing "pat hands" wherein the players are informed of the dealer's odds against the chances of the players' being successful. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the highest card in such a pat hand can be an "8" card and the remaining cards must be lower and unpaired. As will be seen in more detail hereinbelow, a "wheel", i.e. a straight of 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, is considered by the dealer to deserve the highest odds in playing "pat hands".